Child marriage nullified after social media outrage in Iran
After video of an 11-year-old bride surfaced online, a popular backlash prompted the authorities to investigate and prosecute the groom, the officiant and the girl's father.
Persian-language Twitter users were outraged after a video surfaced online of a child marriage in a small Iranian border town. Shortly after the video appeared, the local authorities nullified the marriage and pressed charges against the groom and the father of the girl.
Iranian journalist Javad Heydarian first posted the video, which quickly went viral. Many of those who shared it quickly apologized and deleted their posts because the young girl’s face was not censored. Still, the image of the 11-year-girl with what can be described as a confused smile sitting next to the 22-year-old man struck a nerve.
Hassan Neghin Taji, prosecutor for Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, reportedly concluded that the girl had a “low awareness” of her predicament and therefore decided to nullify the marriage.
After the annulment was announced and charges were filed against the father, the groom and the officiant, Iran's Vice President of Women and Family Affairs Masoumeh Ebtekar tweeted, “The response of public opinion and the efforts of officials have yielded results. Reforming culture along with the laws in confronting child marriage is a path that must be taken.”
